by Sariah Skye
Something under me poked me in the rump and propelled me upwards. It was a matter of seconds before I saw a bright, hazy light and felt my lungs free themselves as they escaped the cold.
I sucked in a deep breath, as I finally was able to open my eyes without struggle. Instinctively, my legs were kicking forwards and back, my arms and wings now outstretched at my side and I realized that we were about one hundred feet off a rocky shoreline; bluish hued water outstretched around us. I managed to look towards the east, and the sun was orange, barely raising over a tall lighthouse that spun it's light over the water.
“Splitrock,” I said, quickly recognizing the Minnesota landmark. Obviously we'd been dumped into Lake Superior instead of Castle Danger.
A gasping breath came from nearby and, Maxxus' human head surfaced. He shook the water out of his eyes and raked the hair out of his forehead, slicking it back with his hands as he treaded water. Dragons weren't great swimmers instinctively; we were big and clumsy. Swimming was better left to the human forms. “Are we far from Castle Danger?”
Not able to think with the chill of the fifty-degree water gripping at my legs, I pointed towards the shore. “Swim first. Questions later.”
Maxxus nodded and we swam with struggle to the smooth, pebbled shoreline. I swore as one of my feet caught a large rock under me, but I continued, hoping it wasn't cut. There were no sharks in Lake Superior, were there? It was certainly large enough for sharks...
We climbed out of the water, just noticing about ten feet away were two humans wearing jackets and hiking boots were standing, cross armed staring at us.
“Are you insane?” It was a male and a female—probably in their early thirties. The female looked on, eyes agog.
I forced a chuckle. “It was a dare.”
“Mighty stupid, ever heard of hypothermia?” He eyed Maxxus' naked form as he collapsed with heavy breath onto the rocks.
“You're exaggerating. We've done this before.” I offered them a sweet smile and looking in each of their eyes briefly, I had the thought Move along, nothing to see here.
The male and female human looked at each other with confusion and, with a shrug, they turned and walked away back into the treeline nearby.
“That is fucking cold!” Maxxus cried out, rolling over and burying his face with wry laughter into the stones. Lake Superior had no sand, but millions upon millions of smooth worn rock from hundreds of years of waves rolling back and forth over them. The entire beach was covered with various sizes of rock in different shades of brown, gray, cream and black; and several wave-worn logs dotted the shoreline.
“It is,” was all I said, eying the horizon briefly. It was barely sunrise.
I blushed, realizing Maxxus’ stark naked butt was bare and in the air, essentially. “Um... you really should shift. At least it would warm you up.”
Maxxus' lifted his head and cocked a brow. “You think a dragon would attract less attention than a naked human man?”
I groaned. “Okay, point taken, but I could probably shield you somewhat. At least, after I shift myself and dry the fuck off. God, that's cold!” I wrapped my robes around myself pointlessly; they were sopping wet and actually steaming slightly at the heat coming from our bodies as it mixed with the chill in the air. “Too bad we didn't have a dryer,” I mumbled to myself. Or did we? I recalled Gabriel, wetting down Kit's Volkswagen in the woods, hoping we would get the fingerprints we left off it, and then using his air magic to dry it.
I untied the string at my collarbone and flipped them off, laying them on the ground. I held my palms out and kneeled over them, calling for my magic. I felt the telltale pull inside hesitate as I tried to call it. I made a puzzled noise.
“What?” Maxxus asked, slowly sitting up, strategically spinning around to keep his front hidden by his legs. He rested in a cross-legged position and rested his elbows on his lap and leaned. That meant his ass was more exposed, but I guessed between the two, the backside would be less scandalous to see for humans. But it was still scandalous to me so I had to bite my lip and look away quickly.
“Oh, uh, nothing. I'm just having a hard time finding my magic here for some reason.”
Maxxus frowned. “Perhaps it's because Nicodemus drained you.” He grumbled, smacking his leg with a fist. “Dammit, I wish I'd been able to finish that cretin off!”
I reluctantly reached over and patted his bare thigh. Maxxus smirked and I immediately pulled away, blushing profusely. “Ugh! Stop that!” I scolded.
He chuckled lightly. “So what are you trying to do then?”
I sighed. Once again, I called for the magic and it resisted a little less this time, but still resisted. Little more than a fly fart escaped from my hands. I groaned. “Trying to dry these fuckers off.”
“Ah.” Maxxus looked off towards the shoreline and make a dour face. “Well, if our packs hadn't of slipped off, I could offer you a change of clothes or something but I am not sure what happened to them.”
I gave him an odd look. “Me? You're the one not wearing anything!”
Maxxus scoffed. He held out his arm. “See? I'm fine. Not even a goose pimple.”
“Then you're fine with wearing these wet?”
Maxxus' eyes narrowed. “Me?”
“Well, yes you! You can't walk back to Castle Danger like that!” I exclaimed with exasperation.
“Castle Danger? We must be thousands of miles away—we can't walk!” Maxxus protested.
“Um. Where do you think we are?” I asked.
He nodded towards the horizon. “Judging by how the horizon seems to curve and how big this body of water is; I'm guessing we have to be somewhere along the north Atlantic Ocean. But,” he shuddered, “I had no idea the ocean there could get so cold!”
I looked at him knowingly. “Maxxus, this is Lake Superior. At most we're about twenty miles away, but more than likely less.” His mouth dropped open.
“What? But—this is no lake, this has to be an ocean!” Maxxus said incredulous.
“It's one of the largest lakes in the world, but it's not an ocean.” I tossed a nod off my shoulder towards the tan-brick lighthouse. “That there is the Splitrock Lighthouse. I'm not so good at geography, but from what I can recall it's very close to Castle Danger.”
“That—that's amazing!” Maxxus mouth was an “o” of amazement.
“Yeah, this is one of the five great lakes of North America. I think this is actually the largest freshwater body in the world, but I can't be sure about that.” Just one conversation I heard customers discuss at Morningstar while they were sipping their coffee; unaware that I could easily hear their hushed whispers.
“Wow. Okay, promise me when all this is over, you'll show me all this stuff. Human Earth is pretty amazing after all!”
I nodded solemnly, a hint of a smile curving at the corners of my mouth. “Will do.”
“Well, if we're only twenty miles from home, then wouldn't it be easier just to fly there?” I started to protest but Maxxus cut me off. “I mean, yes, I know your magic is struggling, but I could go above the clouds and if we see anything. You should have enough magic hopefully to at least confuse whoever sees us, right? Just like you did with that couple?”
I sighed. “Yeah... I should. Except that with you so high, it'll be very hard for me to see where we are.”
“Yeah... well, it's still early so hopefully if we give you a few moments of rest your magic will come back stronger and we can fly a bit lower.”
I snorted. “Yeah, and if not, we'll... it'll make quite an interesting article for the Inquirer at least.”
“What's that?” he questioned, but I didn't respond. I snapped my fingers, remembering something. I leaned over and searched the front pocket of the robes for my cell phone. How could I have forgotten it?
I yanked it out triumphantly but was immediately crestfallen; the screen was black. Of course, it was waterlogged. I pushed the side button hoping it would power on for just a minute. I cringed, knowing how muc
h Gabriel, the tech wizard would probably scold me for it, but I just needed to send a text at least.
The display lit up ever so briefly before promptly going dark again. I sighed. “Damn. Worth a shot.” I shoved it back into my jeans pocket and reached for the robes. I flung them over Maxxus' lap. “You really should cover up.”
Maxxus frowned. “You'll be cold.”
I smirked. “I'm a dragon, remember? I'll be fine.”
Reluctantly Maxxus tied the robes around his neck and laced them up as low as they could go. These weren't designed to be fastened all the way, but they covered up the important parts. Mostly. However, they barely went to his knees and I chuckled. Nudging him I kidded, “You're too tall.”
He smiled. “Perhaps, indeed.”
I pursed my lips and smirked. “I'm not too short? That's what my brother always says.”
Maxxus smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. The shock of the cold fabric adorning his arm was unsettling at first, but his body heat permeated quickly, sending warm tingles down my body. “Not at all. I think you're perfect the way you are.”
I turned my head and lifted a brow. “Really?”
“Really.”
My face flushed and I had to look away from his penetrating gaze. I coughed uncomfortably and stared out towards the sunrise. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the nearly-risen large sun cast a slight orange glow over the horizon line. Between Maxxus and the warmth of the sun heating my shoulders, I began to feel invigorated; and I realized just how cold I had gotten. We had oceans in Anarach—and lakes—but nothing was quite so cold as Lake Superior. Not even around our “poles” like here on the human Earth.
“It's pretty, isn't it?” I said out loud, only half aware that I was speaking audibly.
“It is.” I felt Maxxus' stare. “The sunrise is too.”
I snickered, uncomfortably. “Stop,” I said, elbowing him gently.
He chuckled mildly. “Sorry. Just ever since I got the memories back and the—umm—well the...”
“—the stuff in the barracks?” I offered helpfully.
He nodded. “Yes. That. I am finding it difficult to keep my words to myself any longer. I fought it for so long, and I didn't know why. Now I do, and it's nice to let it out.”
“Hmm.. yeah, I think I understand that well,” I said, and I wasn't only referring to the magic.
“What will happen, you think when we get back to Castle Danger with you and Gabriel?” he questioned. I could hear the hesitation in his tone.
I sighed, picking up one of the smooth, white and brown banded stones from the beach nearby. I assumed it must have been one of the famous Lake Superior agates they were known for. I focused on the swirls and whirls in the opaque casing instead of focusing on Maxxus' question. I didn't know what would happen. Gabriel obviously wasn't thrilled learning about Maxxus' and my past relationship and now that we knew that we didn't split voluntarily, it seemed only natural to take up where we left off. The gemstones of the ring Maxxus had made me all those years ago glinted in the sunlight. I fingered it with my empty hand and the Maxxus' energy tingled under the metal. I sighed once more. Between the boys, the Shadows, and wondering what would happen to my brother and grandfather, I could barely wrap my head around anything. I knew I wanted to be with Maxxus now, but still part of me wanted Gabriel too. That was just insane. Maxxus and I shared so much, and I still had so much to learn about the sorcerer.
Besides the light lapping of the white-capped waves against the shoreline and our own breathing we heard nothing until something rustled in the trees behind us.
I didn't even have time to question it. Maxxus was on his feet in a split second and, though he didn't have his sword, his palm was pointed downward, ready to pull the stones and earth from under us if he needed to.
I gently rested my hand on his palm as I stood. “It's probably just some more hikers,” I whispered. I knew this was a popular spot for it, due to the view.
A laugh escaped the woods and a silhouette emerged. I narrowed my eyes, my hand ready to grab the dagger, thankfully still sheathed at my side.
“Look, they're ready for us.” Daniel emerged, with Finnian close behind, clutching a red helmet under his arm.
I breathed in relief and exchanged an ecstatic smile with Maxxus before picking up my feet and making a beeline for the Seer that suddenly was the most beautiful sight I had seen in a long, long while.
“Daniel! How did you know?” Daniel opened his arms wide and I threw myself into his friendly embrace. He held me tightly and spun me around once, nuzzling my temple with his stubbly cheek.
“Girl, I am so glad to see you; we've been worried sick!” he set me down and held me at arm’s length, looking me over. He gave me a snarky stare. “You're all wet, what the hell?”
“Finnian's little portable portal dumped us into that damn so-called lake, that's what the hell,” Maxxus replied gruffly, joining us at the edge of the beach. I tried not to exchange snickers with Daniel as Maxxus was attempting to cover his backside with the robes.
“Sorry about that,” Finnian said with a smirk. “You must have been in dragon form.”
Maxxus shot him a dirty look of “You think?” but said nothing. He growled a little though, holding the robes down in front and holding out his hand to exchange a handshake with Daniel.
“Where is Gabriel? And Kiarra?” I questioned him.
Daniel shrugged. “Gabriel was behind us. How do you think we found you?”
I was oblivious. “Some sort of tracking spell?”
“No, GPS locator.” Gabriel emerged carrying his cell phone from the treeline. “You must have tried to use your phone a little bit ago because I found you here. Jesus, guys,” he said, glaring at the two taller males as he trudged over the stones on the beach awkwardly, “you could have slowed down a bit. I have the damn phone, and much shorter legs than you. Bunch of damned show-offs.”
Daniel and Finnian exchanged playful smirks which caused me to stare between them expectantly, but it was short lived. Gabriel emerged then in his blue jeans and athletic fit white tee and his ruffled hair; my heart flip-flopped a little. I ran to him, but I stopped myself, hearing Maxxus sigh behind me. But, I couldn't stop myself from grinning ear to ear as he approached me.
I was hesitating to reach for him, not sure how he'd react. We hadn't parted on the easiest of terms, though it had only been around fifteen hours since we'd been gone. He put those fears to rest by quickening his pace and wrapping his arms around me tightly.
“God, I was so scared something happened to you,” he whispered with panic into my ear. I dared to bury my face into his neck, inhaling his comforting spicy scent.
“It's only been a few hours!” I protested.
Gabriel pushed me away slightly. “A few hours? It's been three days!”
“Three days?” Maxxus overheard, surprised.
“Really?” Time moved faster here on the human Earth than in Anarach.
Gabriel nodded intently. He scanned me with his eyes head to toe with worry. His face relaxed when he saw basically that I was no worse for the wear. “You weren't hurt, thankfully. But... you feel like magic.”
“Shadow Magic?”
He nodded once. He pulled at my hands and rested his under my palms. “Let me try something. Can you call for your magic?”
“I think.” I closed my eyes briefly; calling for it was getting much easier the more I practiced. I only had to think quickly and acknowledge it before it felt it tingling under my fingers. The pink glow emanated from my hands indicating that it was working.
“Good.” Gabriel pressed his hands against mine and he closed his eyes briefly, his mouth moving slightly as if he were chanting something inaudibly. Yellow light burst out from his hands and mixed with my pink magic, making a glowing orange sphere that slowly gravitated towards me.
I gasped as it spread over my body; it was a comforting, sunny feeling and I was overcome with relaxation. I sighed contentedly
as the magic moved down towards my toes and dispersed. I shivered a little and grinned. “That was nice—how'd you do that? And what was it?”
Gabriel winked. “I've been reading Kiarra's grandfather's journals while you were gone; I got some insight on how he and Niall used to work together. This was how they'd heal him—Cyril—when he'd needed it. Apparently he wasn't able to heal himself, but with Niall's help he could.”
“Makes sense.” I looked over at Maxxus. “Can we heal him too? The Shadows probably hit him harder than me.”
Maxxus glared briefly, but relented with a sigh. “Can't hurt...”
Gabriel forced a smile, but agreed. He motioned for the green dragon to join us. I clutched Maxxus' hands in my own—ignoring the frown Gabriel probably wasn't aware of on his face—and Gabriel covered ours with his own and we did the same thing for Maxxus.
He shivered after a moment when the magic subsided and grinned. “Yes, that is nice. Thank you.” He acknowledged the sorcerer with a bow of his head, appreciatively.
“Do you sense Shadows on us still?” I questioned.
Gabriel eyed us both intently for a moment and shook his head. “Nope. All gone.”
“Great. Now that that is done, can you fill us in on what happened? I see no Nicodemus so all obviously did not go as planned?” Finnian stood behind us, arms crossed over his chest, eyebrow raised.
I sighed, scratching my forehead with a groan.
“It did not but, I would really appreciate getting back to Castle Danger so I can get some clothes, please? Before what's under here shrivels up and falls off?” Maxxus spoke up, disgruntled.
“What!?!” I playfully smacked him at the uncharacteristic off-color comment. He gave me a shrug of What?
“My motorcycle and your car are parked about a mile away outside the woods. Let's go. Tell us while we walk,” Daniel threaded his arm around my elbow and pulled me close and I explained everything to them and we meandered through the woods—leaving out the parts where Maxxus and I made out of course, but I have a feeling Daniel figured most of that out on his own with the smile out of the corner of his mouth.
